Il Poggione’s 2006 Brunello di Montalcino was another stunner. The Fransceschi family and long-time winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro do such a fabulous job with these wines. Yes, the Riserva is also terrific, but on this day the straight 2006 Brunello dazzled. Layered, rich and explosive, the 2006 conquered all of the senses with its marvelous depth and pure power. Readers lucky enough to own the 2006 probably want to cellar the wine for at least a few years. This was a fabulous showing.

Saturated, bright deep red. Knockout perfumed nose offers redcurrant, sour cherry, menthol, licorice and minerals, with darker berry notes emerging with air. Superconcentrated, sweet and vivid, with chewy primary fruit flavors lifted by an element of candied rose. This full, extract-rich wine finishes with broad, serious, noble tannins, strong minerality and outstanding thrust and length. A pristine Brunello that should evolve slowly and enjoy a long life in bottle.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 02/05/2011

The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is another superb Brunello from Il Poggione. The ripeness of the vintage meets a classic sense of structure as this bold, full-bodied wine takes shape in the glass. The 2006 doesn’t have the elegance or finesse of the 2004, instead it offers a decidedly more virile, masculine expression of Sangiovese. Dark cherries, tobacco, smoke and underbrush wrap around a wall of tannin as the finish builds to a majestic close. Il Poggione’s Brunello remains one of the best values in fine, cellar-worthy wine. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2036.

Il Poggione is Montalcino’s fourth largest estate, with an eye-popping 125 hectares of Brunello designated vineyards, behind Banfi, Castelgiocondo and Col d’Orcia. My annual tasting spanned every wine in barrel from 2006-2010. I continue to be deeply impressed by the average level of quality father and son team Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci coax from these sites. Frankly, it is hard to go wrong with any of the Brunelli Il Poggione has put into bottle over the last few years. The straight Brunello remains one of the most reasonably priced, cellar-worthy wines in the world. The 2006s are rich, bombastic wines that will require patience to drop their baby fat. The Brunelli are fermented with a submerged cap and pumpovers, an approach that is unusual in Montalcino but common in Piedmont. My visit ended with a taste of the 1955 Brunello, which is still in great shape, even after all these years.

The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino appears too focused on oak. It is as if the soft berry fruit, spice and earthy aromas associated with Sangiovese have melted away over the years, leaving dusty wood notes exposed instead. The aromas are toasted and dry, and the tannins show a granular, open-knit quality. All of this gives the wine a monotone effect when appreciated today. The mouthfeel is lean and fine. In my discussion with the winemaking team, I discovered that an order of new oak barrels was initiated in this vintage. These results make sense.